Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama

Book Awards

Winner of Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance 2009.

Shortlisted for Galaxy British Book Awards: Waterstone's New Writer of the Year 2009.

Book Description

What does somebody with a wealth of common sense do if retirement palls? Why, open a marriage bureau, of course. And soon Mr Ali, from beautiful Vizag in South India, sees his new business flourish as the indomitable Mrs Ali and able assistant Aruna look on with careful eyes. But although many clients go away happy, problems lurk behind the scenes as Aruna nurses a heart-rending secret; while Mr Ali cannot see that he rarely follows the sage advice he so freely dishes out to others. And when love comes calling for Aruna, an impossible dilemma looms...A colourful coastal town and contemporary marriage bureau prove a perfect backdrop for a splendid array of characters making sense of all sorts of pride and prejudice - and the ways in which true love won't quite let go - in this witty and big-hearted debut novel.

Buy Marriage Bureau for Rich People book by Farahad Zama from Australia's Online Bookstore, Boomerang Books.

Books By Author Farahad Zama

* Fans of Farahad Zama will applaud his nimble use of well-drawn exotic locations and gently humorous depictions of a colourful cast of characters, who find themselves taking part in an exciting story full of challenges for them all.

* A new and fast-moving storyline full of surprises, combine with a leap in the author's writing, and the invigorating ingredients that made The Marriage Bureau for Rich People a success, to offer a thoroughly enticing package with a seductive new look.

Reviews

US Kirkus Review » A deft, warmhearted debut from Indian-born Londoner Zama about a retired civil servant who opens a matchmaking service on the verandah of his South Indian home. Growing bored of a life of leisure and not nearly pious enough to spend his days praying and socializing in the local mosque, Mr. Ali clearly has to do something to get out of Mrs. Ali's hair. Enter Ali's Marriage Bureau, boasting the "widest choice among Hindu, Muslim, Christian Brides/Grooms." That is not true, but with a combination of common sense and clever grassroots marketing, Ali, a born people person, soon has a bustling little business. His clients range from a nerdy salesman who doesn't quite get why a prospective bride and her parents would not be fascinated by valves, to a tiny young woman whose father insists she get a tall groom to give his future grandchildren the chance at normal height. Business is good enough for Ali to hire an assistant, a young woman named Aruna. Sweet-natured and modest, she shows a real aptitude for the job, which she needs to help support her parents and younger sister. Though Aruna secretly longs to be a bride, she has resigned herself to the fact that her proud, penniless family cannot afford the lush Hindu wedding and dowry expected of their aristocratic Brahmin caste. Fate seems cruel, then, when the eminently eligible young doctor Ramanujam walks into the bureau with his family looking for a suitable girl to settle down with. He and Aruna hit it off, but their future looks dicey. Love matches are frowned upon in this community mired in tradition, and it is up to Ali to come up with a solution that will make everyone happy - if such a thing is possible. The novel touches upon the religious, class and gender inequalities of modern Indian society without getting weighed down by them. A charming, modest cross-cultural confection. Fans of Alexander McCall Smith's intrepid Precious Ramotswe are likely to find an equally engaging protagonist in Mr. Ali. (Kirkus Reviews)

For every $20 you spend on books, you will receive $1 in Boomerang Bucks loyalty dollars. You can use your Boomerang Bucks as a credit towards a future purchase from Boomerang Books. Note that you must be a Member (free to sign up) and that conditions do apply.